Liquid cleaner



Oct. 23, 1956 J. B. comm 2,767,845

LIQUID CLEANER Filed June 14, 1954 L /5 I 2 5 b 1 ,2" g 2/ ze L -31 I4 27 if) J 2'8 5 28 1 VENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 2,767,845 I LIQUID CLEANER 7 Application June 14, 1954, SerialNo. 436,492

S'Glaims. (Cl. 2101.5)

"fhis invention relates to liquid cleaners and more particularly to apparatus for removing foreign particles from a circulating liquid such as oil. A

It jisim'portant in many types of machinery to filter or otherwise clean the lubricating oil or hydraulic fluid used for operating and control systems to remove foreign particles therefrom which might damage the machine parts; It is particularly important in breaking in new machines that the oil be cleaned since small metal particlestend to be carried around by it and may damage the-machine par-tsif not removed.

' It has heretofore been proposed to clean liquids of this character-by filtering them through screens, fabric filters, and theljike; It has also been proposed to remove metal particles by the use of magnets to attract such particles and thereby remove them from the circulating liquid. The present inventionrelates to an improvement in a liquid cleaner of the type in which magnetic attraction is;- utilized to remove metal particles and screening is utilized to remove non-magnetic particles.

It is one of the objects or the invention to provide a liquid cleaner which is, simple. and inexpensive to construct and which is easily disassembled and reassembled for cleaning.

Another object is to provide a liquid cleaner in which the liquid is directed in an annular stream over an annula-r magnet which effectively removes magnetic particles.

According; to one feature of the invention, the magnet is;f,U,-shape,d in cross section and flow is directed thereov'er insuch a manner that particles tend to collect in the pocket of the U where they are completely removed from the flowing stream.

A further object is to provide a liquid cleaner in which the liquid is first treated magnetically to remove magnetic particles and is thereafter screened to remove nonmagnetic metals.

A still further object is to provide a liquid cleaner in which all of the parts are held assembled by a single fastening means so that they may easily be removed for cleaning or replacement.

According to one feature, the fastening means is in the form of a resilient bail which can be easily attached or detached without the use of any tools.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view through a liquid sump tank showing a cleaner constructed according to the present invention installed therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged axial section through the cleaner of Figure 1 with parts in elevation; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line ure 2.

The cleaner of the present invention may be installed in any desirable sump or tank, as indicated at in Figure 1, which is adapted to contain a body of liquid. Liquid may be withdrawn from the tank through a pipe 33 of Fig- 2,767,845 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 11 extending from the lower part of the tank and maybe returned to the tank through any desired connection thereto. The liquid cleaner of the present invention is mounted within the tank on the inlet end of the pipe 11 to remove foreign particles from liquid circulating through the tank.

The cleaner of the present invention, as best seen in Figure 2, is mounted on and supported solely by the pipe 11 to clean all of the liquid entering the pipe. The cleaner is entirely supported by a collar or clamp secured to the pipe 11 at a point spaced from its inlet and which, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, is formed of a pair of plates 12 and 13 which are arcuately curved in their center portions to fit over the pipell. Bolts 14 may extend through the projecting ends of the clamp plates 12 and 13 to draw the clamp plates tightly against the pipe. One of the plates 12 is provided at its outer ends with turned over flanges 15 formed with openings therethrough for a purpose to appear more fully hereinafter.

To remove magnetic particles from liquid entering;

the pipe 11, an annular permanent magnet 16 is mounted around the pipe and abuts against the mounting collar I213. The magnet, as seen in Figure l, is U-shaped' in cross section with an annular cavity or'recess 17 therein defined by spaced lips, one of which lies closely against the pipe and the other one of which is spaced from the pipe and generally parallel thereto. The magnet is mounted, as shown, by slipping it over the pipe with the open recess of the U facing toward the end of the pipe.

Removal of non-magnetic particles isaccomplished by a conical screen 18- fitting into the pipe and secured to a mounting ring 19 of a size to seat against the end of the pipe. The screen is held in place entirely by the mounting ring which is pressed against the end of the pipe, as described hereinafter.

The end of the pipe-is covered by a cup shaped balfle 21 which is of larger diameter than the pipe and which ismounted with its open. end facing and spaced from the end of the pipe, as shown. The skirt of the baflle faces toward the magnet 16 and is substantially aligned with and spacedfrom thev outer surface of the, magnet to define'an annular inlet opening 22, into which the liquid must flow.- The baflleis supported by a sleeve 23 fitting over the end of the pipe and having an inwardly turned lip 24 to engage the ring 19 and press it against the end of the pipe. The sleeve 23 is of such a length that it will engage the magnet and hold it pressed against the supporting collar 1213. The sleeve 23 carries a plurality of spaced mounting arms 25 which may be welded or otherwise secured thereto and which are similarly secured to the inner surface of the baflle 21.

A single fastening means is provided to hold all of the parts assembled so that they can easily be mounted on and removed from the pipe. As shown, the fastening means comprises a resilient wire bail 26 bent into a U- shape and preferably having loops 27 in its legs to provide adequate resiliency. The ends of the bail are turned out, as shown at 28, to hook through the openings in the flanges 15 so that the bail is supported for pivotal swinging movement. At its center, the bail is bent inward, as indicated at 29, to fit into a central recess or dimple in the center portion of the baffle 21 to hold the bail against slipping.

With this construction, all of the oil cleaner parts can easily be assembled on or removed from the end of the pipe 11 through a suitable access opening in the tank 10 which may be covered by a removable cover plate 31. With the collar parts 12 and 13 clamped to the pipe at the correct distance from its free end, the remaining parts may easily be assembled by slipping the magnet over the end of the pipe by inserting the screen in the pipe by slipping the sleeve 23 over the end of the pipe and then by swinging the bail 26 to its locking position shown in Figure 2. With the parts so assembled, liquid entering the pipe must flow through the annular opening 22 over the edge of the bafile 21 and the magnet 16 so that eddy currents tend to be created which will hold heavy solids in the annular space. Magnetic solids in the liquid will be attracted by the magnet and tend to collect in the annular pocket 17 where they are out of the flowing stream and will not be again picked up by the flowing stream. The liquid then flows around the end of the pipe inside the battle and through to the conical screen 18 where any non-magnetic solids in the liquid are removed therefrom. By first removing the magnetic particles, clogging of the screen is minimized and any particles of magnetic material small enough to pass the screen will be removed. In this way, delivery of clean liquid is assured so that clogging or damage to the machine parts with which the liquid is used is prevented.

To clean the device after a period of use, it is necessary only to swing the bail 26 away from the bafiie 21 and remove the several parts of the cleaner. Collections of foreign material can be removed from the magnet and the screen in any desired manner after which the parts can be reassembled for additional use. The cleaner of the present invention is highly advantageous for use with circulating lubricants as well as for use with hydraulic actuating fluids in various types of systems.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A liquid cleaner comprising a tube having an open end to receive liquid, a cupped bafile mounted over the end of the tube in spaced relation therewith and defining with the tube an annular liquid inlet opening, and an annular magnet U-shaped in cross section mounted around the tube with its open section facing and spaced from the baflle.

2. A liquid cleaner comprising a tube having an open end to receive liquid, a support secured to the tube spaced from the open end, an annular magnet fitting over the tube engaging the support, a cupped battle of larger diameter than the tube mounted in spaced relation with the end of the tube and with its edge spaced from the magnet to define an annular inlet opening, a supporting sleeve for the bafile fitting over the end of the tube and engaging the magnet to hold it against the support, and fastening means connecting the support and the baflle to hold the parts assembled.

3. The construction of claim 2 in which the fastening means is a resilient bail connected at its ends to the support and engaging the bafile to urge it toward the support.

4. A liquid cleaner comprising a tube having an open end to receive liquid, a support secured to the tube spaced from its end, a screen fitting in the tube and having a mounting ring overlying the end of the tube, an annular magnet fitting over the tube and engaging the support, a supporting sleeve fitting over the mounting ring and the tube and having inwardly projecting parts engaging the mounting ring to hold it against the end of the tube, the end of the sleeve engaging the magnet to hold itagainst the support, a cupped battle carried by the sleeve in spaced relation to the end of the tube with its edge spaced from the magnet to define an annular inlet opening, and fastening means connecting the support to the baffle to hold the parts assembled.

5. A liquid cleaner comprising a tube having an open end to receive liquid, a support secured to the tube spaced from its end, a screen fitting in the tube and having a mounting ring overlying the end of the tube, an annular magnet fitting over the tube and engaging the support, a supporting sleeve fitting over the mounting ring and the tube and having inwardly projecting parts engaging the mounting ring to hold it against the end of the tube, the end of the sleeve engaging the magnet to hold it against the support, a cupped bafile carried by the sleeve in spaced relation to the end of the tube with its edge spaced from the magnet to define an annular inlet opening, and a U-shaped resilient bail having its ends pivotally connected to the support and its center engaging the baflle to urge the bafile toward the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,429 Rice Mar. 25, 1930 2,300,952 May Nov. 3, 1942 2,374,756 Kisch May 1, 1945 2,678,728 Spodig May 18, 1954 2,603,353 Cooney July 15, 1952 

